Apparatus for retrieving a track on a recording medium by a light beam

Abstract

In an optical or magneto-optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus, an apparatus for locating a pre-designated one of a large number of tracks on the recording medium by a light beam at a high speed during signal recording, reproduction or erasure. The light beam irradiated on the recording medium is swept in the direction of traversing the tracks, the reflected light of the light beam from the recording medium is detected by a photodetector, and a predesignated one of the tracks is retrieved on the basis of the results of detection of the reflected light. The sweeping movement of the light beam is controlled by feedback control of the track traverse velocity of the light beam prevailing until the beam gets to the predesignated track. The velocity detection system for detecting the track traverse velocity is provided with a pulse generator for generating, on the basis of the detection signal by the photodetector, an m number of pulses per on n number of tracks traversed by the light beam until it gets to the predesignated track, a counter for measuring the period of the generated pulse and a velocity computing circuit for computing, on the basis of the count value by the counter, the track traverse velocity of the light beam prevailing until the beam gets to the predesignated track.